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GENERAL FUNCTION:The Principal Software Engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for designing, building, and evolving scalable, secure software systems while providing day-to-day technical leadership for a development team. This role blends hands-on engineering with architectural ownership, mentorship, and accountability for engineering excellence and delivery outcomes. The Principal Engineer acts as a trusted technical authority across the stack and a key partner to product, design, and leadership stakeholders.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:Technical Leadership & Architecture- Lead the design and evolution of scalable, maintainable, and secure full-stack solutions across frontend, backend, APIs, data stores, and cloud infrastructure
- Serve as the primary technical authority for the team, driving architectural decisions, engineering standards, and best practices
- Review system designs and code to ensure performance, reliability, testability, security, and long-term maintainability
- Identify, prioritize, and proactively address technical debt and systemic risks
- Stay current with modern technologies and introduce new tools or patterns where they deliver clear value
Hands-On Engineering- Contribute high-quality, production-ready code across the stack (Angular, Java/Kotlin, Spring Boot, RDBMS/PL-SQL, APIs)
- Lead complex feature development, critical initiatives, proof-of-concepts, and technical spikes
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues spanning multiple services and layers
- Champion strong automated testing practices, CI/CD pipelines, and operational reliability
Team Leadership & Mentorship- Provide technical leadership for an agile development squad, setting clear expectations for quality, delivery, and engineering behavior
- Mentor and coach engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and ongoing technical guidance
- Foster a culture of collaboration, psychological safety, accountability, and continuous improvement
- Support hiring, onboarding, and development of engineering talent
Accountability & Execution- Take ownership of technical outcomes, delivery commitments, and engineering excellence
- Align technical work with business priorities and product outcomes
- Identify risks early and clearly communicate tradeoffs, impacts, and mitigation strategies
- Participate fully in agile ceremonies, planning, estimation, and prioritization
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Partner closely with product managers, designers, architects, operations, and other engineering leaders
- Act as a trusted technical advisor to leadership and cross-functional teams
Engineering Excellence & Risk Management- Influence and improve engineering processes, development practices, and team workflows
- Participate in and contribute to communities of practice and shared standards
- Ensure appropriate controls, documentation, and compliance with audit and risk requirements
- Operate within the organization's risk appetite while consistently prioritizing customer and colleague outcomes
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Information Systems or equivalent combination of education and work experience
- Six+ years of engineering or other IT work experience relevant to the position.
- Strong expertise in object-oriented and functional design principles
- Experience building and maintaining RESTful services and distributed systems
- Prior experience with knowledge of Git and GitHub
- Proficiency with modern frontend and backend technologies (Angular, Java/Kotlin, Spring Boot)
- Experience with relational databases and SQL/PL-SQL
- Understanding of Software Development Methodologies
- Understanding of security best practices
- Strong problem solving skills
- Strong collaboration skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Position not available for immigration sponsorship #LI-MB1
Principal Software Engineer - Full Stack
At Fifth Third, we understand the importance of recognizing our employees for the role they play in improving the lives of our customers, communities and each other. Our Total Rewards include comprehensive benefits and differentiated compensation offerings to give each employee the opportunity to be their best every day.
The base salary for this position is reflective of the range of salary levels for all roles within this pay grade across the U.S. Individual salaries within this range will vary based on factors such as role, relevant skillset, relevant experience, education and geographic location. In addition to the base salary, this role is eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan, with any such payment based upon company, line of business and/or individual performance.
Our extensive benefits programs are designed to support the individual needs of our employees and their families, encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about those programs on our 53.com Careers page at: or by consulting with your talent acquisition partner.
LOCATION -- Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Attention search firms and staffing agencies: do not submit unsolicited resumes for this posting. Fifth Third does not accept resumes from any agency that does not have an active agreement with Fifth Third. Any unsolicited resumes - no matter how they are submitted - will be considered the property of Fifth Third and Fifth Third will not be responsible for any associated fee.
Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
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